Draft rigging



1 l l l i l I A Ime/Liar' John .HI/anic By @LV/MMV' fffy J. H. LINK DRAFT RIGGING Filed Nov. 10, 1932 July 3l, 1934.

Patented July 31, 1934 y iJNiTEDsTA DRAFT RIGGING .101m H. Link, Mei-ion,

Pa., assgnor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation kof Delaware v Application November` 10,1932, Serial No. 642,079

` 2 Claims'.

This invention relates to improvements in draft riggings especially for use in connection rwith mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a sim- 15 ple and efficient draft rigging for mine cars, in-

cluding bufng and draft means so designed that the parts thereof may be readily assembled and applied to the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging of the character specified in the preceding paragraph, including bufling and draft means and a supporting member therefor so designed that the supporting member in addition serves as the end sill of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide,

in a draft rigging for mine cars including a pair Aof bufng heads, a draft member, a supporting casting, and springs opposing movement of the buffng heads and draft member, simple and eficient means for holding allA of the parts assembled. f Still another object of the invention `is to provide, in a draftrigging of the type set forth in the preceding paragraph, a pair of locking blocks which serve, when secured in position, as limiting stops for restricting outward movement of the bufiing heads to hold alll the parts of the rigging assembled.

A morespecic object of the invention is to provide in connection withva draft rigging for vmine cars a member for supporting and housing the draft rigging comprising a transversely disposed draft beam cooperating with shockabsorbing springs, and bufiing heads at opposite sides at theendof the car, wherein the supporting member is so designed that all of the parts may vbe assembled Ytherewith by insertion through the front of the housing, and attachable front wall sections, `which act to hold all of the parts assembled by limiting outward movement of the Abufiing heads and preventing removal thereof from the housing, the buiiing heads, `in turn, preventing removal of the transverse draft beam by Aoverhanging the ends of the beam and by engage- 'mentwith the springs which cooperate with the beam.` y l Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a` horizontal sectional view .through the end of a mine car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the end structure'disclosed in Figure 1. Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sectional views, corresponding respectively to the lines 3-3and 4 4 of Figure 2. lAnd Figure 5 is a front elevational View, partly broken away,

of fthe"v structure disclosed in Figure 1.

In said drawing, 10 designates the end wall,

11-11 the side wallsand 12 the floor of a mine car in connection Vwith which my improvements are employed.

My improved construction comprises broadly a supporting casting A, which also serves as the endsill of the car; adraft beam B; two builing heads, C--C; two locking blocks D-D; and two sets of springs E-F and E-F.

p The casting A has a vertical wall 13, which is disposed transversely of the car. At opposite ends of the wall 13, rearwardly extending sections 14-14 are provided, which are secured to the sides of the car. The wall 13 also has rearwardly extending top and bottom flanges 15 and 16, the flange 15 being fixed to the floor member 12 and the flange 16 being secured to a bottom plate 17. `At the forward side, the end sill casting A carries forwardly projecting top and bottom walls 18 and 19 connected by vertically disposed side walls 20--20. The top and bottom walls 18` and 19 are centrally out away, as indicated at 121, to accommodate the coupling means of the car. The side walls 20--20 have inturned anges 21-21 at the forward ends thereof, which function as outer limiting stops for the bulling heads C-C. The top and bottom walls 18 and 19 and the side walls 20-20 define a housing, which accommodates the parts of the draft rigging of the mine car.

. The locking blocks D-D are secured between the top and bottom Walls 18 and 19 of the end sill casting A, as clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, and serve as means for holding the parts assembled, as hereinafter more fully pointed out. Each locking block D comprises a platelike section 22, which is disposed vertically and has top and bottom flanges 23-23 forwardly projecting therefrom, by means of which the locking block is secured to the top and bottom walls 18 and 19 of the casting A. The locking blocks may be `fixed to the walls 18 and 19 of the casting A by any suitable means and, as herein shown, are secured by rivets extending through these flanges and walls. The locking blocks, as shown in Figuresl, 2, and 5, are disposed at opposite sides of the casting A and spaced inwardly from the side walls 20-20. The platelike wall section 22 of each block D is provided with an offset section 24, which is at the end thereof nearest the wall 20 at the corresponding side of the casting A. The offset section 24 is thickened, as shown, so as to correspond in thickness with the inturned flange 21 of the wall 20 of the casting A, and is in transverse alignment with said flange 21, thereby providing a cooperating stop member for limitingroutward movement of the associated `b'ufling head C.

The draft beam B is of shorter dimension in length thanthe spacing between the inner edge faces of the flanges 21--21 of the side walls -20 of the casting A, thereby permitting insertion of the draft beam through the open front end of the housing, which housing is defined by the walls 18, 19, and 20-20 of the castingA A. The draft beam B is arranged transversely of the car and has inwardly offset spring seats -25 at opposite ends thereof. The draft beam B normally abuts the vertical wall 13 of the casting A, and said wall 13 'has portions 26-,26 thereof inwardly offset sov as to'provide a seat for the beam B and dispose the front walls of the spring seats 25-25 in alignment with the outer sections 27-27 lof the wall 13. Centrally of the draft beam B, means is provided for connecting the same to a coupling member. As shown, the central portion of this beamhas an eye member 28 formed integral therewith, and a link 29 is connected to the eye member 28 by 'a shackle 30 which has the pin 31 thereof extending through the opening of the eye.

The bufling heads C-C are in the form of caps having laterally extending flanges 32-32 at the inner ends thereof. The flanges 32-32 of each builing` head engage with the flange 21 of the wall 20 and the offset section 24 of the block D at the same side-of the casting A, thereby positively limiting outward movement of the bufing head C and holding the same assembledwithin the housing of the casting A. At the outer end, each buillng head has a transverse wall 33 adapted to receive the bufng shocks, the outer surface of said wall being rounded, as clearly vshown in Figures l and 2. v

One of the springs E and one of the springs F are associated with each bufilng head, the spring E having its front end seated yon the front wall of said bufling head C andthe rear end thereof abutting the section 27 of the wall 13 at the corresponding side of the casting A. The spring F has its forward end bearing on the transverse front wall of said head C and its rear end bear'- ing on the spring seat 25 at kthe corresponding side of the draft beam B.

In applying my improved mechanism to a railway car, the end sill castings A are built in the car and the other parts of the rigging are then assembled therewith. The draft beam B is` first placed in position by inserting the same through the open front end of the housing of the casting A before application of the stop blocks D-D. The four springs E F and E-F and the bufllng heads C-C are then placed in position, the outer anges 32-32 of the heads C-C being engaged in the back of the flanges 21-21A of the. side walls 20-20 ofthe casting A. When the parts are in this position, the two locking blocks D-D vrare placed in position with the offset wall sections 24-24 thereof engaged over the inner flanges 32-32 of the bufling heads C-.C and are riveted to the top and bottom Walls 18 'and 19 of the casting A. As. will be evident, the locking blocks D--D thus serve to hold 'all of the parts of the mechanism assembled by restrictingoutward movement ofthe buing heads In the operation of my improved draft rigging, lthe bulng shocks are transmitted to the buillng heads C-C, said shocks being cushioned by the springs E-F and E-F. The springs E-,E are compressed directly against the casting A while .the springs F-F are compressed against the seats 25-25 of the beam B, which beam is heldstationary by engagement with the casting A. Upon a Apulling or draft action beingY applied to thev beam withthe stop blocks D-D and the inner flanges 32-32 of the buffing heads C-C. Inward movement of the heads lC--C in buff is limited by engagement with the beam B and transverse interior stop ribs 40-40 on the top and bottom Walls 18and 19 of the casting A, the beam B at this time being in abutment with the vertical wall 13 of thecasting A.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with a supporting housing fixe-d to the end of the car; of a transversely disposed movable beam within the housing; bulng heads at opposite sides of the end of the car movably telescoped within the housing, each head having laterally projecting, outer and inner flanges at opposite sides thereof; shock absorbing springs interposed between the builing heads and beam, said sup porting housing having a transverse opening at the front end of a transverse dimension greater than the length of said beam to permit insertion of said'beam, heads, and springs, said opening corresponding in height to the height of the telescoped ends of the buning heads; ilxed retaining flanges on' the housing at said opening and overlhanging the outer langesfof said builing heads; and attachable retaining members secured to the housing, said retaining members extending vertically across the opening and overlapping the inner flanges of the buiing heads to limit outward movement of the heads and hold the parts assembled.

2. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with a housing fixed to the end of the car, said housing having a continuous transverse rear wall, forwardly extending, spaced top and bottom walls, and forwardly extending, spaced side walls, said top,bottom, and side walls being formed integral with said rear wall, said side walls having integral inturned flanges at the forward ends, said housing having a continuous opening between said flanges; of a draft beam of lesser length than the distance between the inner ends of said flanges of said side walls, said draft beam being disposed between said top, bottom, and side walls, and eX tending in a direction transversely of the car; a 'spring bearing on each end of said beam at the 'forward side thereof; separate stop members atopposite sides of said housing secured to said top and bottom walls and spanning the space between said top and bottom walls, each stop member being spaced from the inner edge of the flange at the corresponding side of the housing; builing caps bearing on the outer ends of said springs,

'said caps being disposed at' opposite sides at the lend ofl the car, each cap being interposed between the Vflange. and the stop member at the corresponding side of the housing; and flanges at the 1 inner ends of said caps engageable with said stop members and flanges of the side walls to limit .outward movement of said caps.

J OHN H. LINK. 

